Although Yorkshire suffered a loss of almost £1.2m in 2005, they expect to make a profit of at least £300,000 in the current year, finance director, Brian Bouttell, will tell members at the annual meeting at Headingley on March 25, writes David Warner.

The bulk of the deficit was due to Headingley missing out on an Ashes Test, but now Yorkshire have bought the ground and are guaranteed international cricket at the venue until 2019, the financial future is sound, says Bouttell.

"Detailed budgets for the next 15 years have been pored over by financial advisers and these have shown that the club can repay all their debts as and when they become due," he added.

Bouttell said that hopefully a successful club benefit and a ground appeal, which were both planned for this year, would ease the situation.

"Our legacy for 15 years' time is phenomenal," said Bouttell. "Things will be tight for the first five years, reasonable for between five and ten years and much easier in ten-15."

Yorkshire saw a drop in membership last year of 264, taking the total to 6,432, but twice as many spectators came in through the gates, 31,468 paying £210,535 compared to 15,140 paying £100,590 in 2004.

Twenty20 cricket drew the biggest gates with 22,493 walking through the turnstiles to net the club £135,500.

There was an increase in commercial income of £96,000 but England and Wales Cricket Board income was reduced by £162,000 due to a one-off positive accounting adjustment in 2004.

Cricket expenses totalled £1,994,020 compared to £1,791,892 the previous year, while staff wages and employment expenses went up from £1,291,861 to £1,446,512 and match expenses rose from £301,987 to £374,610.